Al Oliver Career Numbers
AVG .303 Home Runs 219 RBI 1326 Hits 2743
Friday, February 14, 2014
Votto Comes Up Short For Reds By Not Swinging The Bat
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto is easily the key reason for the Reds lackluster post season showings in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Votto simply walks too much. Of course all the SABR metrics nazis fall all over themselves with Votto's OBP and all that nonsense. But Votto is the team's #3 hitter and in that slot you are paid to drive in runs (plain and simple.) Votto ended 2013 with a pathetic 73 RBI's (tied with Red third baseman and first year starter Todd Frazier.)
Following the Reds 2012 post season exit, the team was criticized for it's lack on OBP at the top of the order (this was a team that won 97 games in 2012.) So then Reds listened to the critics and gave up talented shortstop Didi Gregorius to bring in OBP machine Shin Soo Choo and guess what? the team was worse in 2013. The 2013 Reds had two of the best OBP players in MLB at the top of the order and they played like corpses down the stretch in 2013 and were MIA in the team's one game playoff with Pittsburgh.
I lay this at the feet of Joey Votto. Votto needs to swing the bat and be more aggressive. I would much rather have Votto have an OBP of .360 and drive in 120 like he should. Either that or let him bat leadoff or #2. Since the SABR nazis don't value stolen bases, bat Votto lead-off like non-speed burners Rick Monday and Brian Downing did in the past.
Chief SABR nazi Brian Kenny actually had Votto ranked #1 of first basemen heading into 2014 (ahead of Baltimore's Chris Davis.) Davis hit 53 homers and drove in 138 runs with an OBP of .370. This shows how utterly deluded these SABR geeks are. Votto's 73 RBI's are a disgrace for a first baesman any way you slice it. The message is clear to Mr. Votto, SWING THE FUCKING BAT!
Following the Reds 2012 post season exit, the team was criticized for it's lack on OBP at the top of the order (this was a team that won 97 games in 2012.) So then Reds listened to the critics and gave up talented shortstop Didi Gregorius to bring in OBP machine Shin Soo Choo and guess what? the team was worse in 2013. The 2013 Reds had two of the best OBP players in MLB at the top of the order and they played like corpses down the stretch in 2013 and were MIA in the team's one game playoff with Pittsburgh.
I lay this at the feet of Joey Votto. Votto needs to swing the bat and be more aggressive. I would much rather have Votto have an OBP of .360 and drive in 120 like he should. Either that or let him bat leadoff or #2. Since the SABR nazis don't value stolen bases, bat Votto lead-off like non-speed burners Rick Monday and Brian Downing did in the past.
Chief SABR nazi Brian Kenny actually had Votto ranked #1 of first basemen heading into 2014 (ahead of Baltimore's Chris Davis.) Davis hit 53 homers and drove in 138 runs with an OBP of .370. This shows how utterly deluded these SABR geeks are. Votto's 73 RBI's are a disgrace for a first baesman any way you slice it. The message is clear to Mr. Votto, SWING THE FUCKING BAT!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Marvin Miller Rightfully Snubbed From Hall Of Fame
Three cheers that former MLB Player's Association leader Marvin Miller is not getting into Baseball's Hall Of Fame anytime soon. While longtime union supporters Peter Gammons and Bob Costas lobby for Miller's inclusion in the hall, the voters are rightfully keeping him out. For fans of the game, the MLB Player's Association is the worst thing to ever happen to the game. Miller and his cohorts have made attending major league games virtually impossible for the average American. Players have become soft, arrogant prima donnas who don't care a lick about the people paying their salaries. You can thank Marvin Miller for relief pitchers with losing records and ERA's over 5 runs a game making 10 million dollars a year. Sure Gammons and Costas just love Marvin Miller (but when was the last time either of them paid money to get into a ballpark.)
Derek Jeter Great But Not An Immortal
Now that New York Yankees' shortstop has announced he will retire after the 2014 the Derek Jeter ass kissing festival has kicked into overdrive. Jeter has already achieved sainthood but now things are getting ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I am not a Derek Jeter hater. I do think he is a future Hall Of Famer but I do think he is overrated. In many cases Jeter's myth has actually surpassed what he has done on the field. As a ballplayer, I think he is the carbon copy of Craig Biggio or Michael Young.
Let me explain my reasoning before you write me off as a Jeter hater. First of all Jeter as a ballplayer was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He came into the big leagues with the free spending New York Yankees. A team which had a virtual financial stranglehold on the game of baseball during the bulk of Jeter's career. Jeter was in a lineup packed with All Stars for virtually every season of his career. He never had to be "THE MAN" and never faced an ounce of adversity in his entire career. He batted lead-off or second just about every season in front of a lineup of the highest paid sluggers in the game (which of course meant that Jeter saw a large quantity of fastballs right over the plate.)
On the field Jeter's numbers were above average but not staggering. Jeter never won an MVP or a batting title. For his career, he led the AL in hits twice, runs once, at bats once and plate appearances four times and that's it. To that most will say "well Jeter was about championships not stats." Sure Jeter won 5 championships on Yankee teams that had the highest payrolls in baseball by far. Let's look at the flipside, Jeter was front and center on numerous Yankee teams that underachieved with the highest payroll in baseball. He was shortstop on a team that lost to the bargain basement Florida Marlins in 2003.
On the field Jeter was an excellent singles hitter. He was an average defensive shortstop at best with an average arm (why do you think he had to jump to make throws to first!) He also struck out a LOT (did you know he is the all time Yankees strikeout leader?) Jeter was an above average player on a team jam packed with superstars every year. You can argue that for the majority of his career Jeter was not even the best player on his own team.
Then there was Jeter's role as Yankee team captain. What exactly did being Yankee captain mean? It meant that he was the leader of a team that was soaked in steroids and cheating. But somehow Jeter knew nothing about it. While the majority of the Yankee superstars were busing sticking needles in each other's asses, Jeter was off by himself having his milk and cookies and had no idea what was going on. That's like a member of the Grateful Dead saying he had no idea the rest of the band were doing drugs! In my mind Jeter does not get a pass from steroid doubts just because he's friendly to the media. Jeter looked done in 2011, then he comes back a year later and leads the AL in hits and very few eyebrows get raised.
But you just can't say anything bad about St. Jeter. Even when Jeter was voted most overrated player in baseball by his peers year after year, the response was that they were all just jealous of the great Jeter. Let's face it Jeter has never done anything wrong. He doesn't even have bathrooms at his house because he never goes to the bathrooms. Jeter can now join St. Mo Rivera in heaven as they get ready to walk on water at an ocean near you.
Let me explain my reasoning before you write me off as a Jeter hater. First of all Jeter as a ballplayer was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He came into the big leagues with the free spending New York Yankees. A team which had a virtual financial stranglehold on the game of baseball during the bulk of Jeter's career. Jeter was in a lineup packed with All Stars for virtually every season of his career. He never had to be "THE MAN" and never faced an ounce of adversity in his entire career. He batted lead-off or second just about every season in front of a lineup of the highest paid sluggers in the game (which of course meant that Jeter saw a large quantity of fastballs right over the plate.)
On the field Jeter's numbers were above average but not staggering. Jeter never won an MVP or a batting title. For his career, he led the AL in hits twice, runs once, at bats once and plate appearances four times and that's it. To that most will say "well Jeter was about championships not stats." Sure Jeter won 5 championships on Yankee teams that had the highest payrolls in baseball by far. Let's look at the flipside, Jeter was front and center on numerous Yankee teams that underachieved with the highest payroll in baseball. He was shortstop on a team that lost to the bargain basement Florida Marlins in 2003.
On the field Jeter was an excellent singles hitter. He was an average defensive shortstop at best with an average arm (why do you think he had to jump to make throws to first!) He also struck out a LOT (did you know he is the all time Yankees strikeout leader?) Jeter was an above average player on a team jam packed with superstars every year. You can argue that for the majority of his career Jeter was not even the best player on his own team.
Then there was Jeter's role as Yankee team captain. What exactly did being Yankee captain mean? It meant that he was the leader of a team that was soaked in steroids and cheating. But somehow Jeter knew nothing about it. While the majority of the Yankee superstars were busing sticking needles in each other's asses, Jeter was off by himself having his milk and cookies and had no idea what was going on. That's like a member of the Grateful Dead saying he had no idea the rest of the band were doing drugs! In my mind Jeter does not get a pass from steroid doubts just because he's friendly to the media. Jeter looked done in 2011, then he comes back a year later and leads the AL in hits and very few eyebrows get raised.
But you just can't say anything bad about St. Jeter. Even when Jeter was voted most overrated player in baseball by his peers year after year, the response was that they were all just jealous of the great Jeter. Let's face it Jeter has never done anything wrong. He doesn't even have bathrooms at his house because he never goes to the bathrooms. Jeter can now join St. Mo Rivera in heaven as they get ready to walk on water at an ocean near you.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
CIA Considers Intentional Talk Over Water Boarding
If the CIA ever hires these two guys the world is in big trouble!
2013 Baseball Winter Meetings Coverage A Crashing Bore So Far!
The 2013 Baseball Winter Meetings have been painfully boring so far. In fact they kinda resemble a cross between Geraldo Rivera's classic "Al Capone's Safe" show and one of Mary Tyler Moore's dinner parties. Nothing happening at all!
Look For Yankees To Deal Mason Williams & Gary Sanchez
The last time the Yankees built their team from within they won four World Series titles in five years. However, since 2001 the team has gone right back to the formula that ran the team aground in the 1980's and turned them into a laughing stock in the early 90's. Instead of trying to build a solid nucleus like teams such as the Cardinals, Reds and Rays, the Yankees continue to throw money at their problems, hoping they will go away.
The Yankees have recently added new names to their roster of aging, overpaid players. Firstly, the signed an aging catcher in Brian McCann. A catcher who hit .250 last year and has a lot of miles on him. This signing makes it appear that top Yankee catching prospect Gary Sanchez will soon be shipped out of town. Their next curious move was grossly overpaying brittle free agent centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and signing him to an insane 7 year contract. This probably means that Yankee centerfield prospect Mason Williams will also not be long for the Bronx. While both Sanchez and Williams struggled a bit in the minors in 2013, both are immensely talented.
Then the Yankees added senior citizen right fielder Carlos Beltran (another soft player with a history of injuries.) Add him to a senior citizen brigade that includes old man Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Ichiro and a fading CC Sabathia and you have baseball's version of the "over the hill gang."
In addition to their aging position players, the Yankees have virtually no starting pitching and a bullpen with no proven closer. Do Yankee fans really confident with Ivan Nova in a big spot? The Yankees seem to be trying to catch lightning in a bottle again with aging players. This has the potential to really blow up in the Yankees faces in a couple of years, and quite possibly this year.
If the Yankees don't address their woeful player development issues pretty soon they could soon be in the position they were in during the Stump Merrill years.
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